The Charlotte 49ers have hired a football coach. Ground has been broken (ceremonially, at least) on the construction of an on-campus stadium.
But another issue continues to confound 49ers athletics director Judy Rose and chancellor Phil Dubois: Is there not a conference out there that will accept Charlotte's football team?
That's become an increasingly sticky question for Charlotte, which learned earlier this week that neither the Southern Conference nor the Big South would extend a football-only invitation for the 49ers when the school starts its football program in 2013.
Judy Rose says two options remain for a program that begins in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) before eventually moving up to Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-AA) status:
Join the powerful Colonial Athletic Association on a temporary, football-only basis, if the league will have the 49ers.
Play as an independent.
It's a multilayered dilemma. Charlotte's much-publicized intent to jump to FBS after an unspecified time in FCS apparently scared off the Southern Conference, an FCS league with several Carolinas schools - but one that is uninterested in bringing in a temporary member.
Rose and Dubois have tried to scale back the FBS talk, saying Charlotte needs to be firmly established in FCS for several years before making the leap.
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Good article -- nice detail
"But the damned and the guiltiest among you are the men who had the capacity to know, yet chose to blank out reality, the men who were willing to sell their intelligence into cynical servitude..."
- John Galt
I say if UNCC would come into the CAA as a full member , then great. Football only, no thanks !!!!
"I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on the objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." - James Madison
When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."
I think this quote is unfortunately coming to fruition for Charlotte. Judy Rose and Phil Dubois obviously have a lot of strengths running an athletics department and university, but football has now revealed their weaknesses.
∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."
Judy Rose .
"Duty is the sublimest word in the English Language"
"Save in defense of my native State I hope to never again draw my sword"
Genl Robert E. Lee
Confederate States of America
Purple Reign wrote:I say if UNCC would come into the CAA as a full member , then great. Football only, no thanks !!!!
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.
∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."
I think this quote is unfortunately coming to fruition for Charlotte. Judy Rose and Phil Dubois obviously have a lot of strengths running an athletics department and university, but football has now revealed their weaknesses.
Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.
Elon Football 2011: The dawining of a new era
Scott Riddle: Holder of numerous passing records. We are not worthy
Terrell Hudgins: Holder of 10 NCAA Receiving Records. Still not worthy
Purple Reign wrote:I say if UNCC would come into the CAA as a full member , then great. Football only, no thanks !!!!
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.
∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."
I think this quote is unfortunately coming to fruition for Charlotte. Judy Rose and Phil Dubois obviously have a lot of strengths running an athletics department and university, but football has now revealed their weaknesses.
Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.
you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.
What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?
phoenixphanatic21 wrote:
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.
Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.
you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.
What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?
I thought I heard the CAA already had. Maybe they've changed their minds?
My guess is the SoCon said no because we don't want or need an associate member for just football, particularly one that sees us as nothing more than a stepping stone and will leave within the next decade.
Elon Football 2011: The dawining of a new era
Scott Riddle: Holder of numerous passing records. We are not worthy
Terrell Hudgins: Holder of 10 NCAA Receiving Records. Still not worthy
ODUalum11 wrote:
I thought I heard the CAA already had. Maybe they've changed their minds?
I've read nothing indicating that the CAA's leadership has changed their minds. Charlotte approached the CAA first, and was told all sports or nothing. Now that UNCC has been denied by both the SoCon and the Big South, I suspect that they might be reconsidering the all sports offer. I wouldn't put money on full CAA membership at this point, but I would have to guess that Charlotte is assessing the option.
If the CAA adds Charlotte for all sports, things get interesting. I don't see the conference staying at 13 teams for long.
rufus wrote:If the CAA adds Charlotte for all sports, things get interesting. I don't see the conference staying at 13 teams for long.
Why? The core football members (GSU, ODU, JMU, UD, Towson, W&M) aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and the basketball schools have no reason to leave. Unless you're talking about the CAA expanding to 14 after adding Charlotte (Stony Brook, Coastal, Fordham?).
I said it from the start, if UNCC is going to (and they have) openly state the FCS is nothing more than a stepping stone fot them they will not find a home. Even with them "toning down" the FBS talk they have already done more damage than they realize, and burned a shit ton of bridges
∞∞∞ wrote:Why? The core football members (GSU, ODU, JMU, UD, Towson, W&M) aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and the basketball schools have no reason to leave. Unless you're talking about the CAA expanding to 14 after adding Charlotte (Stony Brook, Coastal, Fordham?).
I mean interesting from the perspective of further expansion. I think the CAA would go to 14 by adding another football-sponsoring member in all sports. I would expect the conference to go after App State as a first choice. Charlotte and App State both want FBS football, but they don't have a clear path to get there. A conference that includes App State, Charlotte, JMU, ODU, Georgia State, and Delaware would be within striking distance of being able to move to FBS as a conference.
Stupid question but can you please explain why App. State doesn't have a clear path to FBS? Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.
I also think Charlotte joining ANY conference would be instrumental to their program development. They can build a successful program only being an independant but joing a conference would definitely make it easier. I also don't see Charlotte leaving the A10 in other sports to join the CAA. Joining the CAA would be a step down for them even though its not much.
phoenixphanatic21 wrote:
My guess is the SoCon said no because we don't want or need an associate member for just football, particularly one that sees us as nothing more than a stepping stone and will leave within the next decade.
That and the fact that they are a large public school and Lord knows the SoCon wants nothing to do with them.
ODUalum11 wrote:Stupid question but can you please explain why App. State doesn't have a clear path to FBS? Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.
As far as anyone knows, there's no CUSA invite on the table for App State. Their only other option right now is the Sun Belt, and it appears that App State isn't interested. Considering those circumstances, I would say that App State currently lacks a clear path to FBS. It has nothing to do with App State as an institution; there just aren't any suitable slots open in FBS at the moment.
ODUalum11 wrote:Stupid question but can you please explain why App. State doesn't have a clear path to FBS? Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.
As far as anyone knows, there's no CUSA invite on the table for App State. Their only other option right now is the Sun Belt, and it appears that App State isn't interested. Considering those circumstances, I would say that App State currently lacks a clear path to FBS. It has nothing to do with App State as an institution; there just aren't any suitable slots open in FBS at the moment.
I agree, ODU fans feel the same way and if the fans feel the same way, I'm pretty sure the Adminstration feels the same way about possibly joining the sun belt. The only non-BCS conference that seems to have some intrigue is the CUSA.
Whats the possibility a bunch of programs make the job together to form a new conference? Schools like ODU, GSU, Ga. Southern, Charlotte, App. State, JMU, and so on.
If Charlotte moves all their sports to the CAA, look for one of our members to sneak in and take their place in the A10. I wouldn't be surprised if ODU lobbied them for the vacancy. Wouldn't that piss off Charlotte?
Sirloinburger wrote:If Charlotte moves all their sports to the CAA, look for one of our members to sneak in and take their place in the A10. I wouldn't be surprised if ODU lobbied them for the vacancy. Wouldn't that piss off Charlotte?
Higly doubt it. ODU has a pretty strong pact with JMU/UNCW/W&M/GMU/VCU, and we also have a good relationship with UNCC. They probably have our vote as a football-only member, but I doubt they have enough from the other schools other than for all-sports. Plus the A-10 sucks for everything but basketball, and I think the CAA is growing slowly on the national stage and we're happy to be a part of it. We need to be in a well-rounded conference and the A-10 doesn't provide that.
phoenixphanatic21 wrote:
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.
Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.
you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.
What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?
FYI, we have NEVER pushed back the start date for football. From the moment the Chancellor recommended starting the program to today, we have been planning to start in 2013.
ODUalum11 wrote:
you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.
What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?
FYI, we have NEVER pushed back the start date for football. From the moment the Chancellor recommended starting the program to today, we have been planning to start in 2013.
I stand corrected, I could have sworn Charlotte pushed the start of football back slightly or there were at least reports of it possibly happening.
49RFootballNow wrote:
FYI, we have NEVER pushed back the start date for football. From the moment the Chancellor recommended starting the program to today, we have been planning to start in 2013.
I stand corrected, I could have sworn Charlotte pushed the start of football back slightly or there were at least reports of it possibly happening.
There were reports from the Chapel Hole Disturber (aptly named) that it could be possible, but that ended once the Legislature approved our stadium financing plan in August. Before the Chancellor made his recommendation to the Board of Trustees in late 08 there had been talk of starting in 2012. That ended when the Chancellor decided to make a recommendation after July 1st, 2008.
ODUalum11 wrote:
I stand corrected, I could have sworn Charlotte pushed the start of football back slightly or there were at least reports of it possibly happening.
There were reports from the Chapel Hole Disturber (aptly named) that it could be possible, but that ended once the Legislature approved our stadium financing plan in August. Before the Chancellor made his recommendation to the Board of Trustees in late 08 there had been talk of starting in 2012. That ended when the Chancellor decided to make a recommendation after July 1st, 2008.
oh okay, now that you mention it thats exactly what I remember hearing.
Someone mentioned ODU might jump to the A10 if UNCC were to leave but that wouldn't happen. If ODU makes a jump it would be to a FBS conference.
Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.
